Perfect Homes Chiang Mai

If you ask me how to find a place to live in Chiang Mai, Perfect Homes is where I'd start, and that's not a second-hand opinion: I've both bought and rented through them. They're an independent estate agency with a head office in Nong Hoi, south of the Old City, handling condos, houses, land and commercial property for rent and for sale across the city and the districts around it.

Why I recommend them

The big one for me is that they're independent. In their words, they're "not tied to any developers or sellers", which means the advice is about what suits you rather than which project needs shifting. They also don't charge you a fee if you rent or buy one of their listed properties, which takes a lot of the awkwardness out of asking questions.

They've been in Chiang Mai real estate for about sixteen years and say they've helped thousands of buyers and renters from all over the world. That experience shows when you're new and don't yet know Nimman from Hang Dong.

Renting

Their rental list runs from the most basic, budget-priced studio to luxury two- and three-bedroom penthouses, and they have one of the larger selections of houses for long-term rent too. You can filter by area, price and bedrooms, and by practical things like pet-friendly places, schools nearby and three-month rentals. If nothing fits, tell the rental team what you need and they'll go looking for you.

Buying

For buyers it's the same range: condos from budget studios to luxury three-beds, brand-new off-plan units to established buildings, houses from a cozy one-bedroom to family homes in secure developments, plus land and commercial property such as guest houses, shops and offices. Many listings have 360° virtual tours, and their building pages carry short agent comments, which is a quick way to get a straight read on a condo before you view it.

They cover Muang (Nimman, Suthep, Chang Khlan and the rest of the city), plus Doi Saket, Hang Dong, Mae On, Mae Rim, Maejo, San Kamphaeng, San Sai and Saraphi.

If you own a property

You can list a house or condo with them to rent or sell. For condo owners inside the city municipality they also offer full property management: a rental valuation, marketing and viewings, tenant screening, the lease contract with a photo inventory, the security deposit, the TM.30 report to immigration, rent collection, repairs through local contractors and online monthly statements. Their published rate is one month's rent for each new annual lease (pro rata for shorter), then 5% of the rent while it's under management. Handy if you're often out of the country.

Who to ask for

If you ask around, Paul Bradshaw is the agent people recommend most, and that's who I'd ask for. He's their real estate manager, has been with them since 2016, and his notes turn up on a lot of their condo pages.

Watch before you view

Their YouTube channel is worth a scroll before you book viewings. They post walk-through tours of real units every few days, usually with the price on screen, so you get a feel for what a given budget buys in each part of town.